Posted by Admin at 2025-03-16 10:16:50.000000-05:00 […]
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Following in the footsteps of Japan’s Daisuke Takahashi, who broke the world record for the oldest figure skater to win an Olympic medal at 29 years old in 2014, a Japanese speed skater has set a new world record for the oldest athlete to win a world age-group championship title.
The gnarled hands wrapped around the medal stand out, each of their resulting wrinkles tell a story of dedication and pride. The hands belong to Hiroki Kirimoto, a 56-year-old speed skater from Nagano, Japan, who in February won a 500-meter gold medal in the men’s masters category of short-track speed skating at the World Masters Championships in Obihiro, Japan, which secured him, not only the gold, but also the title “oldest athlete to win a World Age Group Championship gold medal.”
According to The New York Times, Kirimoto’s accomplishment broke the record for the oldest athlete to ever win a world championship title, beating out a skier from Kazakhstan, Igor Mukhin, who was 55 years, 55 days when he set a gold-medal record at the 2007 International Biathlon Union World Championships for Biathlon in 2007.
Kirimoto, who lives and breathes skating, began his competitive skating career at 44 years old and never looked back. This will be his 14th season on the circuit. The athlete finished the Obihiro race in 44.5 seconds, which is no new feat considering that the veteran speed skater’s personal best was completed in 41.45 seconds in 2015 (Elite Skating, March 14 2019).
Hiroki had already added the title “oldest world skating champion” to his impressive resume before he ever set the record for the world’s oldest medalist. In 2018 he won the gold medal in the masters (over 32 years old) category at the Track World Cup, becoming “oldest world champion ever in any individual sport at any level,” according to Guiness World Records.
After qualifying for 30 marathons, skating for 20 years, and doubling five world records, being awarded Olympic bronze and being credited with a sudden rise in the sport from Japan, Kirimoto’s knowledge of the skating scene exceeds the age of most competitors.
Kirimoto hopes that this championship subconsciously sends a message to younger skaters, regardless of experience. He said:
At Turnage Training we teach our members HOW to be successful at their sport.
We don’t teach luck
No, we teach dedication and mastering your technique and strategy.
With practice, technique and training… Neake has come to be “the chill killer”.
He wins the big tournaments and gets onto the Radix Pro Malaysia Team.
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